MONDAY, September 30, 2013 — Congress may still be debating particulars of the Affordable Care Act, but even so, one of the bill’s major tenets is about to go into effect. Tomorrow marks the opening of the health insurance exchange marketplace — an online market designed to create enough competition between insurance companies to bring prices down, allowing previously uninsured consumers to gain access to healthcare.

When HealthCare Reform goes into full effect starting January 1, 2014 no healthplan, either sold privately or through the exchanges, will be able to exclude patients because of any pre-existing conditions they may have. Insurers also wont be able to cancel plans/coverage if you get sick.

The Social Security number followed by one of these codes is often referred to as a claim number. We assign these codes once you apply for benefits. These letter codes may appear on correspondence you receive from Social Security or on your Medicare card. They will never appear on a Social Security card.

WASHINGTON — National health spending climbed to $2.7 trillion in 2011, or an average of $8,700 for every person in the country, but as a share of the economy, it remained stable for the third consecutive year, the Obama administration said Monday.

On its face, the low-key discussion around a conference table in Miami last month did not appear to have national implications. Eight men and women, including a diner owner, a chef and a real estate agent, answered questions about why they had no health insurance and what might persuade them to buy it.